How Many Times Do I Have to Use Botox, for Permanent or Long Lasting Results?

Hi Priya,

  There is no permanent Botox or other form of injectable botulinum toxin. However, since Botox keeps you from being able to contract your facial muscles as much as you were able to before you had Botox, these muscles temporarily soften/weaken (atrophy).

I liken it to what one's leg looks like when a cast has been removed. If you've ever seen someone's leg after wearing a cast, the injured leg looks a lot thinner than the non-injured leg. This is because the muscles weaken (become "atrophic") because they haven't been able to contract for a prolonged period while the person was wearing the cast. This analogy applies to the muscles in the face and how they become thinner/atrophic over time with Botox injections. 

The first few times you get Botox, it typically lasts 3-4 months. However, if you are good about coming in for re-treatment (with more Botox injections) as soon as you start to notice those wrinkles reappearing, those facial muscles are then not able to get as strong as they were before you started getting Botox and the effects of the Botox will last longer. For example, some of my patients who have been getting Botox for years (and return for re-treatment as soon as their wrinkles start to reappear) can space their visits 9 or more months apart because those muscles are so "wimpy"/atrophic/weak. 

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Thank you for your question. Botox is not a permanent treatment. I would recommend doing a maintenance every 3 months to keep up the great result. I hope this helps.

Cosmetic Botox is intended to last 3-4 months. If you've never had a consult, I would suggest doing so with a reputable provider to understand how the treatment works, and to establish an affective plan for you long-term.

Botox and other neuromodulators such as Dysport and Xeomin work by disrupting the connection between the muscle where it is injected and the nerve that controls that muscle, resulting in relaxation of the muscle. For facial muscles, it takes about 3 months for the body to form new connections, so it is the healing time not the effect of the Botox that determines how long the effect lasts. Under-dosing will generally produce shorter duration of effect, but over-dosing will not prolong it.

Botox will not ever provide a permanent result. Most patients achieve 3-4 months of improvement from each treatment session. We have found that prolonged use of Botox can result in a requirement for smaller amounts of Botox over time. However, people need to maintain their Botox treatment schedule to maintain the result. I hope this information is helpful.